Brand
Project
Creating Cover Art for the Official Soundtrack
FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Soundtrack – An album featuring global anthems to celebrate the tournament's spirit of unity, energy, and cultural fusion across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Summary
Tools
Photoshop, Illustrator
Responsibilities
Cover Design
Official Album Cover
As the designer for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Soundtrack Album, I developed a vibrant, neon-infused cover that encapsulates the tournament's global energy, cultural fusion, and celebratory spirit. Hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the album includes standout singles like "Lighter" by Jelly Roll x Carín León, merging country and regional Mexican influences for an anthemic uplift, and "Goals" by Nitta, LISA, and Rema, a dynamic blend of Afrobeats, K-pop, and electronic beats symbolizing victory and collaboration. The design draws from the host nations' diversity, using bold visuals to appeal to an international audience of football and music fans.
The project required cover art that reflects the World Cup's themes of unity, innovation, and excitement while incorporating FIFA's branding, such as the trophy and "26" motif. It had to highlight the album's diverse tracklist, be adaptable for streaming services, physical releases, and merchandise, and avoid overused sports clichés by emphasizing musical and cultural vibrancy for fans aged 18–45.
The final cover features the golden trophy forming "26" amid swirling neon arcs in red, green, and blue against a cosmic black backdrop, topped with "FIFA SOUND" and the album title. This creates a sense of motion and global harmony, optimized for digital and print in high-res formats.
Animated Official Album Cover
Lighter
Jelly Roll x Carín León
As the designer for the FIFA World Cup 2026 soundtrack's "Lighter" single by Jelly Roll x Carín León, I created evocative cover art that captures the song's uplifting, cross-cultural energy. This track blends country grit with regional Mexican flair, symbolizing unity and resilience amid the tournament's global stage. The design fuses stadium drama with artistic portraits, using misty atmospherics and vibrant accents to evoke the thrill of football and the warmth of collaboration, ensuring appeal across digital streaming platforms and promotional materials.
The brief demanded cover art that embodies the World Cup's themes of passion, diversity, and triumph while highlighting the artists' unique styles—Jelly Roll's raw Americana and Carín León's vibrant Mexican roots. It needed to integrate FIFA branding, like the trophy logo and "FIFA Sound" tag, in a way that's versatile for thumbnails, playlists, and merchandise. The visual had to avoid clichés, prioritizing emotional depth and cultural fusion to resonate with fans aged 18–45 worldwide.
The final artwork centers on a foggy soccer pitch under dramatic lights, with Jelly Roll and Carín León standing sentinel around a central ball, topped by the colorful FIFA 2026 logo. This creates a sense of anticipation and unity, delivered in high-res formats for streaming and print.
Goals
As the designer for the FIFA World Cup 2026 soundtrack's "Goals" single by Anitta x LISA x Rema, I created a cyberpunk-inspired cover that captures the track's explosive fusion of Brazilian pop, K-pop, and Afrobeats, evoking themes of achievement, diversity, and urban energy. Set against a neon-drenched cityscape overlooking a glowing soccer field, the artwork symbolizes the tournament's global stage and host cities' nightlife, designed for streaming platforms, social media, and event promotions.
The brief sought cover art that reflects the artists' international synergy—Anitta's bold Latin rhythms, LISA's sleek K-pop precision, and Rema's rhythmic Afrobeats—while aligning with FIFA's 2026 motifs of goals, unity, and innovation. It had to feature the trophy logo, adapt to digital thumbnails and physical merch, and prioritize dynamic excitement over static imagery for fans worldwide.
The final piece showcases a panoramic night city with the FIFA logo atop, transitioning to a vibrant field below, unified by glowing accents. Optimized in high-res for all formats, it balances drama and celebration.
